Some Australian employers have reportedly hired undercover detectives to monitor the activity of workers who work from home (WFH), with companies being branded as paranoid for taking extra lengths to track productivity. According to a report by Nine, employers are becoming increasingly suspicious that their staff are doing other tasks, such as grocery shopping or attending the movies, instead of completing their jobs.
Rise of WFH and Employer Concerns
Working from home became more common after the lockdowns of the Covid-19 pandemic and interest surged again earlier this year when a spike in fuel prices made commuting less attractive. Energy Minister Chris Bowen stated at the time that working remotely where possible was a “sensible thing to do,” though no government mandate required it. The International Energy Agency also included WFH as one of its 10 recommendations in response to the global oil shock, placing “work from home where possible” at the top of the list.
A Roy Morgan report highlighted that 6.7 million Australians were working from home at least some of the time. The research also found that workers in major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra were leading the WFH movement, with Sydney workers almost 10 per cent more likely to work from home compared to the national average.
Private Investigators in Action
Private investigator Amy Elliott, who runs the National Inquiry Agency, told Nine that she has seen employees spend their days running errands and will knock on their doors to check if they are home. “An employee won’t even know that a PI has knocked on the door or done a spot check. It’s very quick. Spot checks take about 15 to 20 seconds,” Ms Elliott said.
Productivity Paranoia
UTS Associate Professor of Workplace and Business Law Dr Giuseppe Carabetta told Nine that “productivity paranoia” is embedding itself into Australian company culture. “Using investigators signals a breakdown of trust and is legally risky unless very tightly justified,” Mr Carabetta said. He has dubbed the new trend as “productivity paranoia,” warning that such measures can damage employee morale and lead to legal challenges.
The move to hire private investigators has been met with criticism, with experts warning that it reflects a lack of trust between employers and employees. As WFH arrangements continue to evolve, the balance between monitoring productivity and respecting privacy remains a contentious issue in Australian workplaces.
